Councilman TJ Clark, chair of the Hartford City Health & Human Services Committee, said the committee would not have authority to take final action without a quorum but led introductions on Dec. 2 for five nominees to the African American and Black History and Culture Commission and moved to forward them to the full City Council.

Dr. Benjamin Foster Jr., who was introduced first, told the committee the commission should "tell their story then and now," calling for city support to document Hartford’s Black history. Foster cited a range of local and national figures he said help illuminate Hartford's past and asked the council for help in preserving and promoting those stories.

Reverend Dr. Eric Hurst, minister for faith formation and social justice at First Church of Christ in Hartford (Center Church), emphasized the regional and international connections in Hartford’s Black history. "The black history of Hartford is not only about Hartford history. It is connected directly to world history and world events," Hurst said, describing archival work tied to Center Church.

Dr. Fiona Vernal, an associate professor of history and Africanist studies at UConn and director of a related institute, described a digital humanities project called Hartford Bound — "50 stories and 50 maps" — that she said will publish next year as a free resource for students and the public. Dr. Stacy Close, a history professor, and Dr. Sweets Wilson, a faith-based therapist from Harlem with West Indian and Cuban roots, also introduced their qualifications and their interest in documenting migration-era and community histories.

Councilman John Gale moved to bundle items 2.2, 2.4, 2.5, 2.7 and 2.8 and send them with a favorable recommendation to City Council; Councilman TJ Clark seconded. The chair called for a voice vote; the ayes were declared to have it. The committee referred the bundled nominations to the City Council, which will take them up at its Dec. 8 meeting; members of the commission were invited to participate in the City Council public-comment period at 6 p.m.

Why it matters: The commission is intended to collect, preserve and publicly present histories that committee speakers said have been underrecognized in Hartford. Nominees described academic, archival and community-based projects that could translate into curriculum resources, exhibits and public programs if the appointments are confirmed.

What’s next: The City Council will consider the appointments at its Dec. 8 meeting; the committee’s favorable recommendation sends the slate to that agenda but does not itself enact any appointments.